Hidden Art

When picking up a book or magazine, do you really think about what is on the cover. Specifically, outside of the title, background information and author information. Do you notice what other details are included like, for example, the art, photographs, fonts, raised lettering, layout and other design features?

These are all aspects of what few people know are Graphic Arts. Someone is painstakingly laying-out what these publications should look like before they are available to consumers. Fonts are chosen, colors are picked, artists are selected and designs are created all in the name of art.

Why does this labor of love go so unnoticed? This could be due in part that, traditionally, when a book is released, all the attention is on the author. The same goes for magazine publications, more focus is placed on the words than anything else. Or else, that is what it seems. Credit is given to all these “behind the scenes” masters, but few go noticed for the time and effort that is really devoted.

An example I have right now is a book I am in the process of reviewing. While I have an vast array of author and contributor information, it is a mystery who designed the book cover. Would I have noticed this if I didn’t write about Graphic Artists? Probably not, unfortunately.

The market for these artists is booming due to the level of authors pushing to get their work out on the shelves. This is also true for Internet marketing. The latest craze: e-Book cover designers. This surprised me because who would think an e-Book would need a cover? Not me, but I was wrong.

What other forms of art are hidden behind something else? Lets think about this for a moment. Do we see the art and on the brochures, or just read the text? Do we see the logo on the letterhead or do we just read the letter? Do we notice the choice of colors on the product labels, or just the products?

Yes, art is hidden everywhere: billboards, movie marquis, banners, flyers, signs and more. Next time you’re riding passenger in a car and seeing all the merchants on the way to your destination, think about who the designer is instead of the merchant for a change. Their just as important. Without them, these businesses would have no way of making themselves stand out creatively.

Resource:

• My mind.

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